Festive Fizzy Cocktails

Among the brightest pleasures of the holiday season is sparkling wine. While you may want to save that bottle of "real" French champagne for toasting the arrival of a New Year, sparkling wine is a versatile and convivial beverage that suits a variety of occasions. It goes well with most appetizers as an aperitif, and is an ideal complement to roast turkey.

There are also a number of wonderful cocktails that employ sparkling wine and they make the perfect accompaniment to a holiday brunch. Their low alcohol makes them suitable for consuming early in the day, while with their fruit juice content, you can even tell yourself you're drinking healthy. The fact that they "stretch" a bottle of wine also makes them an economical choice when entertaining a crowd, and they're simple to prepare. Another bonus: for designated drivers, expectant mothers, and non-drinkers, you can substitute low-sodium club soda or sparkling water for the wine; no one will know the difference.

Two final points before we get to the cocktails: don't use expensive "real" champagne. I recommend Spanish cava. It's made by the same method as French champagne, it tastes great in a cocktail, and it's a fraction of the price. And serve all these drinks in champagne flutes.

Mimosa: This is the classic and it couldn't be simpler. To 2 oz. of orange juice (squeeze your own or use a good-quality, no-pulp, not-from-concentrate brand like Tropicana), add 3 oz. of sparkling wine.

Grand Mimosa: Kick it up a notch. Add ½ oz. of Grand Marnier to your Mimosa.

Fuzzy Mimosa: Add ½ oz. of peach schnapps to the basic Mimosa.

Creamsicle Mimosa: Hard to find, but worth it. Add ½ oz. vanilla rum or vodka to the basic Mimosa.

Lilosa: Use pink grapefruit juice instead of orange juice.

Pomosa: Instead of orange juice, use pomegranate juice.

Poinsettia: Use cranberry juice instead of orange juice.

Have a joyous and peace-filled Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.

Points and Miles: December

This month sees one insanely lucrative promotion and numerous other offers to kick off the winter holiday season.

To mark the opening of the new Radisson Blu in Chicago, Club Carlson is giving away 50K Club Carlson bonus points to the first 50,000 Club Carlson members to register and complete a stay at a Radisson by December 30. Even after the first 50,000 spots are gone, you can still earn 15,000 bonus points for the stay. What will 50K Club Carlson points get you? There are relatively few Carlson properties available at 9K points per night, but lots at 15K. So, stay once at a Radisson and earn 3-4 free nights at many Radisson or Country Inns and Suites locations. And if you book and stay on points at any Club Carlson hotel by January 31, you'll earn a 9K rebate, essentially staying for free at some properties. It looks like Carlson really wants to become a major player in North America.

With this offer code, enjoy a welcome credit at Hyatt Hotels of up to $150. Good for services such as drinks, meals, or spa treatments. Or, if you're a Costco member, get a 10% rate discount and $25 a day hotel services credit. Book with this code (tip of the hat to Ric, the Loyalty Traveler). And finally, CAA/AAA members enjoy a 10% discount and complimentary breakfast. The offer code is here. All offers are valid until February 29.

Starwood is offering special rates for Ontario and Québec residents for weekend stays before December 31. Here's the offer page. And there are other deals available, depending on the property. You can check them out here.

You could save up to 33% and earn 1,000 bonus Hilton HHonors points with Hilton's December Sale. Details are here.

I've not mentioned A Club, the loyalty program of Accor hotels, a European chain, before. Accor does have several Novotel properties in Canada as well as Sofitel locations in Montréal and in major U.S. cities. With this offer, get the third night free when you pay for two nights, plus earn triple points. And via this page, you can instantly become an A Club Platinum member, which entitles you to a host of elite benefits. If you're planning an Accor hotel stay in the next year, it would be worth the few minutes it takes.

Until December 12, when you convert hotel points to Aeroplan miles, earn a 20-25% bonus. This could be a good deal if you have an immediate need for Aeroplan miles, but as I pointed out in a post a few weeks ago (What's a Point or Mile Worth?), hotel points can be more valuable because, unlike flight redemptions, there are no taxes or fees payable when you redeem for a free room night. You do the math.

I'm sure when you're holiday shopping you're consoling yourself with the thought that, when the credit card bills arrive in January, at least they'll also bring a blizzard of points and miles. OK, maybe I'm the only one. But have you considered not only earning points and miles with your holiday gift-giving, but giving points and miles as gifts?

Petro-Canada is offering 50% more Petro-Points on purchases from its convenience stores. That includes items such as lottery tickets and gift cards. Guys, do your Christmas shopping when you fill up. Offer's good until January 2.

And when you order magazines as a gift, or even for yourself, from Rogers Magazine Service, receive up to 1,000 Aeroplan miles via this offer.

For yourself, or as a gift, you can buy Starwood Preferred Guest Starpoints for 20% off until December 31. Can be a good deal, because sometimes you can get a hotel room for less by paying with points than with cash. Also good for topping up an account to redeem for an award or to keep your account active.

You can also purchase Club Carlson points for yourself or to give for US$7 per 1,000 (plus GST/HST for Canadians).

And a final thought: one of the nicest things you can do with your points and miles is to give them away. While most plans either don't permit, or charge an exorbitant fee for, transferring points or miles to someone else, they do allow you to book rooms and flights for others. And most plans allow you to make a charitable donation from your points or miles account.

Merry Christmas.

Follow me on Twitter: @AeneasLane

Boozy Coffees

The evenings have grown long and cold and we're lingering longer over dinner. The perfect accompaniment to dessert, or even as a dessert itself, is the "boozy" coffee.

The granddaddy of them all is the Irish Coffee. Add 6 oz. strong black coffee to a mug or heatproof glass with a handle. Add 1½ oz. Irish whisky and 1 tsp. of sugar (some prefer brown sugar). The original calls for heavy cream to be poured slowly over the back of a spoon to layer on top of the coffee. The coffee is then sipped through the layer of cream.

You'll commonly see Irish Coffee and other boozy coffees made with whipped cream. Using freshly whipped cream is preferable and practicable if you're serving several guests at a dinner party, but if you're preparing a single serving for yourself, using the aerosol canned product is an acceptable alternative. Be sure to rinse the nozzle well and it'll keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

The Irish Coffee spawned a host of other boozy coffees that you're no doubt familiar with from restaurant menus. Here are a few other recipes I've developed here at the 500 Words Bar and Bistro.

Kentucky Koffee: 1½ oz. bourbon, 1 tbsp. honey, 6 oz. black coffee, whipped cream. Don't use your expensive bourbon.

Mexican Coffee: 1 oz. Presidente Mexican brandy, 1 oz. Kahlua, 6 oz. black coffee, whipped cream. If you can't find Presidente brandy, any other brandy will do.

Bwana Coffee (adapted from The Elephant Bar restaurant, Torrance, CA): ½ oz. each brandy, Kahlua, crème de banana, and amaretto, 6 oz. black coffee, whipped cream.

And for those who don't drink coffee, the Kilt and Curry: brew Mighty Leaf Bombay Chai Tea for 4 minutes in a large mug (you may use any other brand of chai tea you prefer). Remove the teabag and add 1½ oz. of Drambuie. Sounds weird, but the honey and spices in the Drambuie marry beautifully with those in the chai. Give it a try.

Next month, I'll have some sparkling cocktail recipes for the Festive Season.

Follow me on Twitter: @AeneasLane

Marfan Syndrome Awareness Week

This week, November 13-19, is Marfan Syndrome Awareness Week.

Marfan Syndrome is a genetic condition that results in weakness in the body's connective tissues. Connective tissue is the "glue" that holds many of the body's organs and systems together. People with Marfan Syndrome can experience problems with the lenses of their eyes, their joints and skeletal system, and most significantly, their aorta, the large blood vessel that leads out of the heart. Over time the aorta can stretch and tear, and this can be fatal if not diagnosed and repaired.

The majority of people with Marfan Syndrome inherited it. It's caused by a dominant gene, meaning if you have it, you have a 50-50 chance of passing it on to your children. It doesn't "skip" generations, though: if a child didn't inherit it from his or her parent, he or she can't pass it on to his or her children. But as many as 30% of people with Marfan didn't inherit it; they have it because of a new mutation in the gene that controls the connective tissue fibrillin.

Many people with Marfan are tall, but not all; they are merely taller than they would be without it. Most have poor eyesight because their lenses are dislocated. Some have loose joints. Every person with Marfan is at risk of aortic aneurysm.

The "classic" Marfan physique may be easier to diagnose, but Marfan people come in all shapes and sizes and races, and that's why it's important that there be greater awareness of this condition. Because a lot of people have Marfan and don't know it. It's estimated that 1 in 5,000 Canadians have Marfan, but the number could be double that.

A generation ago, the outlook for people with Marfan was not very bright. There was little knowledge in the medical community, spotty diagnosis, and few effective treatments. The average lifespan of a person with Marfan was less than forty years.

All that has changed in the last twenty-five years. Today there are good diagnostic tools like echocardiography and effective drug and surgical treatments. Research has discovered the cause and mechanism of Marfan, and a global study is underway to investigate a promising drug therapy that could prevent aortic aneurysms.

Organizations like the Canadian Marfan Association exist in most major countries to spread awareness, support Marfan patients and their families, and foster research. This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Association's founding by a remarkable woman, Elizabeth McHenry. Over the past quarter century many hard-working people have given of their time, energy, and money to support and build the Association, and their efforts have saved and prolonged countless lives.

If you would like more information about Marfan Syndrome, or wish to support the Canadian Marfan Association, click on this link.

I have Marfan Syndrome.

News of the Weird

Being a semi-regular compendium of human folly, frailty, and fractiousness

Well, duh

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced this week that, contrary to cross my heart and hope to die promises made during last May's election, he won't be able to eliminate the budget deficit by 2014. Seems Jimbo was the last person on Earth to find out about this here "Great Recession" thingee we got goin' on. That means all the pie in sky tax cut promises, contingent on balanced budgets, are out the window too. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me three times…

Pre-Occupied

It's time most of the Occupation forces moved on. Around the world, civic reactionaries are moving in to evict them, and their resistance is threatening to transform the movement into merely a battle over their right to squat in public spaces. I'm not saying the fight is over. On the contrary, we need to recognize that Occupation was a tactic, not a goal. It's time to find new ways to keep up the pressure on the 1%.

Well, Duh, Part II

Speaking of the 1%, Toronto retail consultant Wendy Evans, quoted in the Toronto Star, reports they're doing just fine, thank you. "Luxury is just moving so fast," Evans says. "There's (sic) line-ups at the luxury counters. It's quite remarkable. There's a subset of our population that is just not aware there are some economic hiccups out there."

What Does Penguin Gravy Taste Like?

Buddy and Pedro, the male African penguins at the Toronto Zoo who have formed a same-sex bond, have become international media stars. Despite the global attention for the city's beleaguered zoo, Toronto mayor, Rob Ford, has reportedly refused to visit, saying he always spends Remembrance Day weekend with his family at the cottage. Your correspondent has been unable to confirm reports that Toronto councillor Giorgio Mammoliti has been seen at the Zoo attempting to film Buddy and Pedro with his video camera.

And You Want to be My Latex Salesman

Seinfeld fans might remember the episode wherein the hapless George Costanza crashes to the floor, pants around ankles as he rushes from the bathroom. If you've forgotten, Texas governor Rick Perry, who wants to be president of the United States, will remind you with his debate performance from earlier this week.

Follow me on Twitter: @AeneasLane

Aeroplan Miles Expiration

Patrick Sojka, who produces the Rewards Canada blog, recently wrote in the Toronto Star (5 things loyalty card companies don't want you to know) that loyalty programs count on a certain proportion of points and miles going unclaimed. It's money in their pockets instead of yours. One way they have of ensuring this is by setting a date when points will expire.

Some hotel and most airline frequent flier plans have points expiry dates: if you have no activity in your account during a certain period of time, the points disappear. (Delta Airlines SkyMiles is an exception: points never expire.) That's why a points tracking service like AwardWallet, which tells you when your points will expire, is very useful. And it's also why you should learn how to earn miles in your plans without having to fly, such as through hotel stays, point swapping, and online shopping, searches, and surveys.

While points in most plans expire after 18 or 24 months of inactivity, Aeroplan is unusually harsh in snatching back your points after only 12 months. And Aeroplan is unique (to my knowledge) in adopting a policy, a few years back, of erasing points seven years after they've been earned, even if you're earning points every single day.

Imagine if you contributed to your savings account each week and your bank simply decreed it was going to take any money that had been in there for more than seven years.

And they call this a loyalty program?

Anyhoo, Aeroplan has taken a lot of flak over its policy, and deservedly so, but at least it is now notifying its members of the pending confiscation of their points. And I should stress, that no one has lost any points yet: the policy set the earned date of all previously held points as December 31, 2006. That means that Aeroplan won't take away points earned before then until December 21, 2013.

So you still have two years to redeem any points earned before 2007. And if you have redeemed points since 2007, you may have redeemed those at-risk points already.

How can you find out if your Aeroplan points are safe? Like me, you may have received an email recently with a statement of the points that will expire in 2013 and 2014. If not, you can check the status of your points by going to aeroplan.com, clicking on Your Account, Account Expiry Status, and Request Mileage Status.

When Aeroplan was simply the frequent flier program of Air Canada, maybe a seven year point expiration policy wasn't a big deal. Regular Air Canada customers earned miles from flying, hotel stays and car rentals, and were expected to "earn and burn".

But today Aeroplan is an independent loyalty program company: most members earn points mainly from affiliated credit card spending, and/or gas (Esso) and grocery (Sobeys) purchases. And since a pair of economy class seats to Europe requires at least 120,000 points and Australia 280,000, that dream vacation may require a decade of patiently accumulating one mile at a time. In other words, it's an impossibility for many members if their points are snatched back from them after seven years.

Simply put, Aeroplan's seven-year expiration policy is an abuse of its members' loyalty and a theft of their property.

Follow me on Twitter: @AeneasLane

What’s a Point or Mile Worth?

It's a question I'm sometimes asked and it's a question I frequently ask myself. Because points and miles aren't really "free": you do pay for them, if only indirectly; and they do have value, which you want to maximize.

For example, the question of how much a point or mile is worth is part of the decision as to which credit card to choose, especially if you're paying an annual fee. And if you have more than one point-earning card in your wallet, which one you actually use depends not only on the number of points you'll receive for the transaction, but also the value of those points.

And then there's the question of those cards (like American Express Membership Rewards) that let you convert its points into points in other airline and hotel programs. Which conversion offers the best value?

Unfortunately, there's no clear, simple answer. For one thing, the points in different programs have different values. Hotel points, particularly, are all over the map. While it might take 7-10K points for a free stay at a Starwood property, an equivalent Priority Club hotel might require 15-25K, and Hilton 30-35K. And the points you earn per dollar spent on paid stays generally reflects their value. At Starwood it's 2, Priority Club 10, and Hilton 15 (with the bonus points double dip option).

While (most) airline miles are (roughly) equivalent in value (for example, 25K miles are required to fly within North America), what you redeem for affects the value of your miles. Since Aeroplan is the most popular airline loyalty program with Canadians, let's see what an Aeroplan mile is worth.

Say you want to redeem for merchandise, an Apple iPad2 WiFi 16GB. With tax, it's $586.47 at Apple stores in Ontario. It's 72,500 Aeroplan miles. So an Aeroplan mile is worth .8 cents.

What if you want a gift card instead? A $50 gift card from Home Hardware, the Bay, or Esso costs 6,500 miles, making a mile worth a little less, .77 cents each.

Maybe you want to actually take a flight. Now the value of your miles depends on where and when you want to fly. For example, a flight from Toronto to San Diego, leaving on March 1 and returning on March 8 is 25K points. Expedia charges $684.78, meaning a mile is worth a little more than 2.7 cents. But wait: Aeroplan charges an additional $105.66 in taxes, fees, and surcharges, meaning the 25K miles covers only $579.12, making a mile worth actually just over 2.3 cents. That's still pretty good. And I'm sure there are even better values out there.

One reason I like to redeem for travel rewards, rather than cash back or merchandise, is the greater value. Considering that many cards offer two points or miles for spending on gas, groceries, drugstores, and travel, and taking advantage of double-dipping opportunities (see this post on the topic), a return on credit card spending approaching 10% is possible.

Getting the best value from your points and miles requires a little work. Pay for a hotel room or flight if it's cheap (and earn points and miles!) and save your points and miles to use when rooms and flights are expensive, in order to maximize their value.

One final point to consider: hotel points have an advantage over airline miles that affects the calculation of their value. A free hotel night redemption has no extra fees: there's nothing else to pay, even the taxes are included.

Follow me on Twitter: @AeneasLane

Points and Miles: November

It's the middle of the fourth quarter and that means it's been a quiet month in the world of points and miles. But there have been a few worthwhile offers that have come my way.

Hilton Hotels (which includes such brands as Hampton, Doubletree, and Embassy Suites) is offering the choice of a free night after four stays, or double points on all stays booked and completed by December 31. And if you select Delta Airlines as your double dip option, you'll receive an extra 250 Medallion Qualifying Miles via this offer.

If you'd like to give to earthquake relief in Turkey, Hilton HHonors will reward you with 10 points for every US$ donated.

A two-night stay at a Priority Club Rewards property (Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, etc.) in major North American cities (including Toronto), earns a 7,500 point bonus via this offer. Combined with the base points and other bonuses available (see current bonus offers at Priority Club Insider), you could easily earn the 15K points required for a free night at most Holiday Inn or Holiday Inn Express locations. Since many Priority Club bonus offers are stackable, my advice is to sign up for every offer and see what you get.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts (Sheraton, Westin, etc.) is offering a variety of discounts and special offers at properties in the Southern U.S. and Caribbean to CAA/AAA members. Good until December 31, all the information is here. And until December 15, the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express card comes with a 20K point sign-up bonus. That's enough for between 2 and 5 free nights, depending on the category of hotel. Or you can convert the 20K points to 25K airline miles for a free flight in North America. The card carries a $120 annual fee.

Until January 15, Hyatt Hotels is offering triple American Airlines AAdvantage miles with each stay – 1,500 instead of the usual 500. Up to 15K miles can be earned. And in other news, Hyatt is renaming its Summerfield Suites brand Hyatt House. Hyatt House will consist of the existing 38 Summerfield Suites locations and 16 Hotel Sierra properties that Hyatt recently acquired.

With this code, get special rates from Hertz and earn bonus Delta SkyMiles. There are various expiration dates.

And finally, Patrick Sojka, on his Rewards Canada blog, has recently posted reviews of the American Express Gold Rewards card, the RBC VISA Infinite Avion card, and the American Express AIR MILES Platinum card. If you're looking for a point-earning credit card, or just curious how your card stacks up, check them out.

Follow me on Twitter: @AeneasLane

Updates

Some updates to recent posts:

Autumn Beers drew a comment from Peter in Peachland about Pumpkineater, a strong, spiced beer from B.C. Check out his full comment at the bottom of the post.

And by one of those strange coincidences, Pumpkineater is just one of dozens of amazing beers on tap at this Sunday's Cask Days 7^th Annual Cask Beer Festival at Hart House on the U. of T. campus. For those of you in the Toronto area, all the details are here.

A visit to Guelph last weekend enabled me to visit the Wellington Brewery where I purchased Wellington Imperial Russian Stout. Imperial Russian Stout is an extra strong (in this case 8% abv.) beer style originally brewed for export to the Russian market to keep the czars warm on long winter nights. Wellington Imperial Russian Stout is black, with a brown head and tastes of coffee and dark chocolate. It has a nice balance between sweetness and roasted grain bitterness. A wonderful sipping beer for the cold evenings ahead.

And if you're interested in following up on some further aspects of the radical redistribution of income by the 1% that has blighted the lives of the 99%, check out a piece by U. of T. prof J. David Hulchanski that appeared in yesterday's Toronto Star. In it, he points out that in the 1970's, two-thirds (66%) of Toronto neighbourhoods were middle class. By 2005, even before the Great Recession that began in 2008, that number had fallen to less than a third (29%), while the proportion of poor and very poor neighbourhoods had skyrocketed from 19% to 53%. It's the realization by the middle class that many of them really aren't middle class anymore that is behind the growing movement for fundamental economic reform.

Yet another piece, appearing in today's Star, highlights the economic damage done to older workers, who now have to spend 3.5 more years working in order to afford retirement than they did 10 years ago. This, in turn, impacts young workers, who can't find employment or move up in their jobs because older workers are hanging in there into their late 60's.

The mess we're in is the result of decades of misguided economic policies that favoured the elites. We're beginning to understand the nature of the problem, and appreciate the dangers of economic inequality. We need to keep up the pressure on leaders to act quickly in order to head off social upheaval and political violence.

You can follow me on Twitter: @AeneasLane

Occupy This!

The "Occupy" movement that began on Wall Street and that has spread around the world (I witnessed "Occupy Guelph" on the weekend) has already achieved at least one major victory. It has created a robust new meme – the 99% and the 1% – that distills the essence of what has gone wrong with our economic system over the last 35 years.

Since the late 1970's, through good times and bad, globalization and tax cutting, the incomes of the poor and middle classes have actually declined. The majority of the gains from several decades of economic growth have gone to the top 1%. The next 4% have done pretty well. And the next 5%? They managed to keep their heads above water. But the rest of us, the 90%? We've been slowly drowning.

That explains why our children graduate from university (if they can afford to go) with massive debt, can't find good jobs, and can't buy homes. It's why our pensions have vapourized and why seniors can't afford to retire. It's why we could build schools, hospitals, transit, roads, and bridges in the 60's, but despite 40 years of economic growth, "can't afford" to do so now. It's why all politicians seem to offer the same platform: tax cuts.

How did we get here? Some background:

Back in 1980, when Ronald Reagan proclaimed it was morning again in America, the con was called "trickle-down" economics. Governments would enact policies that would favour those who were already economically privileged. The rest of us, like the poor man in the parable, would be content with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table.

In the 90's it was free trade, deregulation, and resulting globalization. Removing the taxes from imported goods might cost you your job, but you'd be able (temporarily) to buy cheaper foreign products with your unemployment benefits. Eventually, you'd find another job in one of the new, lean and mean industries that would rise from the ashes of the old economy. And you could always get rich trading tech stocks, right? A rising tide would lift all boats.

It may have lifted the yachts, but it left most of us clinging to the wreckage. Free trade and deregulation really meant freedom for capital to range anywhere in the world looking for a fast buck. People, however, couldn't and so began a race to the bottom for wages.

But wait, there was a solution: tax cuts. Your wages might not be rising, but we'll lower your taxes so you'll have more money in your pocket. Only most of the tax cuts ended up going to the rich, while the middle class got hit with user fees and tuition increases, and cuts to social services hammered society's most vulnerable.

For the past several decades the rich and powerful and their right-wing talking heads in the media have been masters of the meme, and they have defined the terms of the economic, social, and political discussion. Just think of a meme like "Tax Freedom Day" and all it represents.

But a meme like "the 99% and the 1%" changes the channel. It has the power to alter the way we view the world. If we're lucky, it's merely crystallizing what we're already thinking but haven't been able to express 'til now. That's why the push back from the mainstream media and their masters in the economic and political elites has been so hysterical: the Occupiers may be only a ragtag band of a few hundred, but they're saying the emperor has no clothes. And people are listening.

You can now follow me on Twitter: @AeneasLane

Autumn Beers

I don't drink much beer in the summer. I prefer darker, fuller-flavoured beers, and those kinds of beers are more appealing to me in the cooler months. So, recently, when the skies turned grey and the temperatures dropped, I visited the LCBO looking for beers I hadn't tried before. I came up with four – all from small Ontario breweries.

Crazy Canuck Pale Ale (5.2%, $2.50 for a 473 ml can) from Great Lakes Brewery in Toronto was a real surprise. The packaging suggests a cheaply made "hockey" beer, but promises a "west coast pale ale", and it certainly delivers. Unlike, say Okanagan Springs Pale Ale, which you can find at your local pub, Crazy Canuck has a pronounced hop aroma backed up by plenty of citrusy hop flavour. The colour is amber with a dense white head. There's some sweet maltiness there in the middle, but the hop bitterness dominates the finish. This beer would go great with sausage or pepperoni pizza. A great price for a beer of this quality.

The second beer I tried was a disappointment. I really wanted to like Muskoka Harvest Ale (6.2%, $8.95 for a 750 ml bottle) from Muskoka Cottage Brewery in Bracebridge; their Muskoka Cream Ale is a long-time favourite. Harvest Ale comes in an attractively labelled, swing-top bottle. The brew is copper-coloured, with a beige, creamy head. It's very bitter, but there's little or no hop aroma and only a hint of caramel in the malty body. Not a bad beer, but not a great one, and not worth the price. I enjoy a bitter beer, but I look for balance with the sweetness of the malt. Harvest Ale is just too bitter and unbalanced for me.

The next two beers were very different from the first two. Here malt dominated, with little detectable hop aroma or bitterness, but that's characteristic of their styles. Black Creek Porter (5%, $3.55 for a 500 ml bottle) is brewed by Black Creek Historic Brewery, located in the famous Black Creek Pioneer Village in northwest Toronto. Porter is a dark ale, favoured by the porters of 18^th century London (hence its name), and the ancestor of the better known "stout porter", aka, stout. The use of some roasted, but unmalted, barley gives the beer its mild bitterness and coffee flavour, as well as its dark chestnut colour. The head is modest and beige-coloured. This is a very sippable and satisfying beer, and my favourite of the four I tried.

Like porter, stouts employ roasted barley to create a dark, nearly black beer with a tan-coloured head and coffee bitterness in the taste. But Trafalgar Smoked Oatmeal Stout (5%, $4.95 for a 650 ml bottle) from Trafalgar Ales and Meads in Oakville throws a double twist into the classic stout recipe. The addition of oatmeal creates a sweet stout with a silky mouthfeel, while the use of smoked malt provides a distinct smoky flavour. It's a little like taking a bite out of a campfire and it won't be to everyone's taste. I suspect though, that the combination of sweet and smoke would make this beer a great combination with barbequed ribs.

Not every LCBO stocks all these beers, but you can search the LCBO website for availability. Next month: boozy coffees to ward off winter's chill.

You can now follow me on Twitter @AeneasLane

Winners and Losers

The results of last night's Ontario election: Liberals: 53, Progressive Conservatives: 37, New Democrats: 17. So, who were the winners and losers?

Dalton McGuinty was a winner. He earned his third consecutive election victory, a rarity in politics. He came from far back in the polls just a few months ago, preaching a message of hope about the future that many Ontarians embraced in the midst of economic turbulence.

Dalton McGuinty was a loser. His Liberals lost 19 seats, several points in the popular vote, and majority status, barely.

Tim Hudak was a winner. In his first campaign as leader, he increased his party's share of the popular vote by 2.5% and its seat total by 12.

Tim Hudak was a loser. He blew a double-digit lead in the polls with a bizarrely negative campaign that went off message several times, attacking immigrants as "foreign workers" and supporting homophobic groups that accused schools of promoting cross-dressing. He was inexperienced, and it showed.

Andrea Horwath was a winner. She increased her party's popular vote by 8% and seat total by 7. In her first campaign, she earned recognition and respect and finally laid to rest the ghost of the Rae government.

Andrea Horwath was a loser. Her party's platform was eerily similar to that of Hudak's PC's, stressing tax cuts for "working families". Sure, there was a promise to roll back the most recent Liberal cuts to corporate tax rates, but under Horwath, the NDP adopted the rhetoric of anti-tax populists, hardly sounding like a progressive party.

So what does the future hold?

This was Dalton McGuinty's last campaign, and everyone knows it. Liberal cabinet ministers (those who survived last night) are already jockeying for the leadership. How will he retain his hold on his own caucus and cabinet, let alone the legislature? He's in for a tough time, but it would be a mistake to underestimate him. There's certainly some truth to the nice guy persona, but there's also steel under the Mr. Dad cardigan.

Hudak and Horwath have both earned the right to stick around and next time they will be the experienced campaigners facing a rookie Liberal leader.

In his "concession" speech, Hudak continued to raise the spectre of the bogeyman Dalton McGuinty, the "tax man". Two points: dude, the election's over. And if it didn't work then, why do you think it's going to work now? Get some new material, please. He came off as strident and petty. Significantly, he praised Horwath, no doubt knowing that every vote the NDP gains comes from the Liberals. It may be his only hope: in this campaign, Hudak branded himself as Mr. Negative. Unless he can shake that image, his growth prospects seem limited.

Horwath stressed her eagerness to get down to work as soon as possible, and her readiness to work with the other parties to address the urgent challenges facing Ontario. She came across as positive and energetic. She poses a real threat to the Liberals next election. And Tim Hudak's best chance to become premier. Unless Andrea Horwath beats him to it.

You can now follow me on Twitter: @AeneasLane

Points and Miles: October

All the major hotel chains have now launched their fourth quarter promotions. If you're planning a Thanksgiving getaway, or a cross-border shopping trip, you might also refer to Points and Miles: September for the chains that were first out of the gate with their offers last month.

Country Inn and Suites by Carlson offers a free night if you complete a two-night stay by December 1. Various terms and conditions apply, so read them carefully. And a car rental from Avis could get you 9K Club Carlson points. Here's the link with the code you'll need.

You're probably not familiar with Wyndham Rewards, but you may recognize many Wyndham Hotel brands: Ramada, Super 8, Days Inn, Howard Johnson, Travelodge. Every stay through November 18 earns double points or miles, and every second stay gets you a $20 VISA gift card. Registration is required via this link.

Priority Club is the loyalty program of Intercontinental Hotels (Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza). You earn 10 points for every dollar spent. To redeem for a free night at a Holiday Inn or Holiday Inn Express usually requires 15K points, but some hotels offer "Pointsbreaks" specials for only 5K points a night. Here's where to find hotels offering Pointsbreaks. Until December 31, Register to earn 500 bonus points per night. Your bonus will be doubled or tripled if you stay at more than one brand. There are lots of other bonuses available. Find them here. The bonuses can add up quickly: two paid nights at Holiday Inn can easily earn you a free night.

Unfortunately, there are few Hyatt Hotels in Canada. Until November 15, receive 5K bonus Hyatt Gold Passport points after every three nights you stay. Combined with the regular 5 points per dollar earned, that's enough for a free night at many Hyatt hotels.

The airline space presents a couple of interesting offers. If you're a Royal Bank customer and collect RBC Rewards points, until November 30, earn a 30% bonus when converting RBC Rewards points to American Airlines AAdvantage miles. And, only until November 15, RBC is offering up to $350 in WestJet dollars for signing up for its WestJet RBC MasterCard.

If you'd subscribe to the magazine anyway, and the price is right, Rogers magazine service is offering 250 Aeroplan miles when you add a magazine to your account. Gift subscriptions also qualify.

And finally, CIBC has taken over the Petro-Points MasterCard and is offering 15K as a sign-up bonus. Petro-Points aren't worth much: 15K points will get you a $10 gas card. You do save 2 cents a litre at the pump, earn points for your spending, and receive a monthly 5K ($3.33) bonus if you spend over $1,000.

The card is no-fee, and there is a calculator on the site to let figure out how you'd do. My own calculations show that I'd save about $4.00 a month on gas and earn a $10.00 gas card about every other month, giving the card a value of a about $120.00 per year, or a return of about 1%. That represents a lost opportunity of several hundred dollars compared to several other cards I know and use that offer a 2% return and whose points can sometimes be leveraged for even greater value.

If you spend a lot (over $25K per year), especially on gas, the 2 cent a litre discount could increase the card's value to the $250-$300 range. But there's still the lost opportunity cost to consider. If you're putting that much spending on a credit card, a travel rewards card that offers double points or miles for gas, grocery, drug store, and travel purchases could be worth your while, even if it comes with a fee.

It just goes to show that there's no one right rewards program for everyone. How much you spend, where you spend, and what kinds of rewards you're after all determine what's best for you.

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Two Weeks to Voting Day

I have to admit, I haven't been paying a lot of attention to the Ontario election so far. Perhaps, and you may want to have your pitchforks and torches handy, it's because I'm generally satisfied with what the McGuinty government has done over the last eight years.

Investment in the auto makers, the HST, all-day kindergarten, green energy -- while unpopular with some, are policies that will benefit Ontario significantly in the long run.

There are certainly things I could find fault with: chiefly the incompetent management of several of the province's programs, agencies and commissions. But these problems often had their origins in the Harris years; the Liberals' fault lay mainly in not dealing with them sooner. But then, they had a huge mess to clean up.

However, I'm not going to expend time and energy critiquing, or even poking fun at Tim Hudak and the Conservatives.

I really don't have to: Rob Ford and the American Tea Partiers are doing a pretty good job undermining Hudak's credibility on his promise to cut taxes and balance the budget without cutting programs.

I'm just going to state the fundamental reason why I'm opposed to conservative political ideology and leave it at that.

It comes down to the difference between a "taxpayer" and a "citizen":

A taxpayer sees his or her condition as a victim of government. Taxes are a form of confiscation and so the best thing politicians can do is cut them. Always. Conservatives thus appeal to narrow self-interest. But I don't object just on moral grounds. This narrow self-interest is also short-sighted, because as every business person knows, you can't starve an enterprise to greatness; you have to spend money to make money.

A citizen, on the other hand, sees his- or herself as part of a community and a larger society. Taxes are a form of investment, a contribution to our social capital that pays future dividends in the form of a better and more prosperous future for all. Citizens recognize the need for taxes to rise when the situation warrants.

Of the three major parties contesting the election, I see Dalton McGuinty's Liberals as the party most aligned with this vision of Ontario as one comprised of citizens, working together, contributing to a better future for all.

I have to say something about Andrea Horwath and her New Democrats. I've supported the New Democrats most of my life, but I'm disappointed that Horwath has chosen to go fishing in the same anti-tax waters as Hudak: promising to remove the HST from home heating and reduce gasoline taxes. Progressive people should not be anti-tax, particularly taxes that contribute to combatting the effects of climate change.

So, I'm going to leave it there. I welcome your comments.

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Chase Marriott Rewards VISA Fail

I mentioned in Part 2 of the annual Points and Miles update that Marriott Rewards was a program I hadn't paid much attention to in the past. But about six weeks ago, I received an offer in the mail of a free night and 15K points if I signed up for the $75 annual fee Chase Marriott Rewards VISA card. Since Marriott was also running a "stay twice; earn a free night" promotion, I was planning to direct my hotel stays this fall toward Marriott, even though they are usually more expensive than most of their competitors.

Well, not everything has gone according to plan.

I completed the application form and mailed it away back in early August and waited. It's always been my experience in applying for credit cards in the past to receive the card in 2-3 weeks, sometimes in as little as 10 days.

After about a month, in early September, I received a phone message from Chase. I followed the instructions to return the call, only to be misdirected several times through their automated system. I finally just pressed "0" and spoke to a customer service representative to explain that I had been asked to contact them about my credit card application.

The CSR said she needed to know my date of birth. I'm pretty sure it was on the original application, but whatever. I provided it and was told to expect my card in 5-7 business days.

Two weeks later, I received a letter in the mail stating that if I wished to complete my application for its credit card, I should call Chase at the number provided. I decided I wouldn't.

Now, it's not just a matter of pique. Or that I didn't want to waste time wading through an automatic phone system and waiting on hold. There's a larger motive at play.

All of us, in our role as customers, are forced to interact with large and distant corporations – cable, cell, and internet companies, airlines, insurers, and banks – electronically, through call centres and/or the internet. And when we have a question, concern, or problem, the experience is always time-consuming, usually frustrating, and often unfair.

Thus, I've come to appreciate the companies that get it right: that never or seldom make errors, whose customer service is easily accessible, and whose CSR's are trained and empowered to resolve issues quickly to my satisfaction. In my experience, American Express is a good example.

So when even the mere application process with Chase was problematic, even if those problems were minor, I asked myself: "What is my experience likely to be if I have a disputed charge on my card?" And I wasn't reassured by the answer.

So that's the reason I'm giving up on the Chase Marriott Rewards VISA card. Sometimes the points just aren't worth the aggravation.

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Dessert Cocktails

Sipping a glass of port or icewine is a great way to end a fine meal with friends. And it's hard to beat a boozy coffee on a cold winter's night (We'll get to that in a future post). But there's a delicious alternative you might not have considered: the dessert cocktail. Sweet, and usually creamy, they're more than just a layered shooter.

The following examples are all original creations; I've even given them literary (that's debatable) names. They're best served in a Martini- or Margarita-style glass.

Curious George

• 1½ oz. white rum
  
• 1 oz. crème de bananes
  
• 1 oz. dark crème de cacao
  
• 1 oz. half and half cream (10% M.F.)
  
• crushed ice
  

Crème de bananes and crème de cacao aren't actually creamy: they're clear, strongly-flavoured, but fairly low-alcohol liqueurs, intended to add flavour to cocktails. Crème de cacao comes in both dark brown and colourless varieties; they taste the same. You'll find them at the liquor store, alongside the triple sec and apricot brandy. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake sharply for 30 seconds and strain into your cocktail glass.

The Man in the Yellow Hat

• 1½ oz. white rum
  
• 1 oz. crème de bananes
  
• 1 oz. pineapple juice
  
• 1 oz. half and half cream (10% M.F.)
  
• crushed ice
  

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake sharply for 30 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass.

The Albino Monk

Named for the character Silas, in The Da Vinci Code, because its hazelnut flavour is reminiscent of the liqueur, Frangelico, which comes in a monk-shaped bottle. And yet it's snowy white, like the self-flagellating friar. It's also perfect for the lactose intolerant because it contains no dairy.

• 1 oz. Coffeemate, Hazelnut flavour
  
• 1 oz. vodka
  
• 1 oz. white crème de cacao
  
• crushed ice
  

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake sharply for 30 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass.

These cocktails are made from "scratch" in the sense that they require you to combine cream with various liqueurs. Of course, there are many premixed creamy liqueurs available that come in a range of flavours. Check their websites for ways to serve them as an ingredient in desserts or dessert cocktails.

Since next month is October, in the spirit of Oktoberfest, I'll take a look at some beers for the cooler days (and nights) of autumn.

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Points and Miles: Annual Update, Part 2

Last fall, in Points 4: Double-dipping, I described how you can often earn points in at least two different programs for any transaction (My personal record is a quintuple dip). The principles I outlined still apply, but as I mentioned in Part 1, the specific example I gave of converting points earned with the Club Sobeys MasterCard to Aeroplan miles is no longer valid.

The reasons for joining multiple airline and hotel rewards programs that I explained in Points 5: U.S. Airline Frequent Flier Programs still pertain. So does my opinion about the value of Points.com. Personally, I don't use Points.com to track the balances in my programs any more. I've found another free site, AwardWallet, which is easier to use, works faster, and is more accurate. It will even keep track of flight, hotel, and car rental reservations for me, which I've found very useful. It doesn't allow me to swap points the way Points.com does, so I still use the latter occasionally.

I don't have the Amex Starwood Preferred Guest card anymore, so I'm not earning SPG Starpoints the way I described in Points 6: Starwood Preferred Guest Program. But, if I want to, I can convert Amex Membership Rewards to Starpoints. All the virtues of the SPG program remain. Ben Schlappig, who writes the One Mile at a Time blog, recently explained the best ways to realize the value of Starpoints in this piece on travelsort.

Since the beginning of the year, I've also collected a fair number of Club Carlson (formerly goldpoints plus) points. You can read about that and my legendary quintuple dip in this post from back in May. I'm hoping to pull off something similar this fall. I'll let you know if it works out.

Marriott Rewards was a program I hadn't paid much attention to in the past. There hadn't been many Marriott properties in Canada, and I generally find Marriott's rates higher, both for paid stays and points redemptions. But recently a number of reasonably-priced Fairfield Inns have opened in Canada that compete with Hilton and Intercontinental in the Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Express space. Currently, there's also a stay twice, earn a free night offer and a 15K sign-up bonus for a $75 annual fee Chase VISA card that have me planning some Marriott stays this fall. And speaking of Hilton, a double points offer this summer meant our week in D.C. earned a nice bunch of points in a program that also had not been a focus for me in the past.

As I described in Points 7: Priority Club, this is where my hobby/obsession began about seven years ago, and it remains a favourite program for its ease of earning points (lots of bonus opportunities) and plentiful locations. I mentioned that there wasn't a way Canadians could earn PCR points with a credit card, but that will change this November when Capital One will launch $120 annual fee and no-fee versions of a PCR MasterCard. You can be sure I'll be signing up and letting you know which is the better value, depending on your circumstances.

If you want to know more about points and miles collecting and how to get the most out of redemptions, check out the resources in Points 9: The End of the Trail.

And one final point: unless you're able to pay your credit card balances in full each month, the interest you pay will far exceed the value of any points or miles you earn.

You can now follow me on Twitter: @AeneasLane

Points and Miles: September

This is the first monthly summary of the best travel rewards points and miles offers that come my way. Look for it the first Thursday of each month. Now that the busy summer travel season is winding down, we're starting to see more lucrative offers from the airlines and hotel chains. The sputtering economy is also contributing to this.

Delta Airlines has a code, good through December 31, for up to 2,500 SkyMiles and 40% off a Hertz rental. And, also to December 31, beginning with your second stay, you'll receive thousands of bonus SkyMiles for stays at Marriott hotels. You must set your earnings preference to SkyMiles in your Marriott Rewards account.

Until September 18, you can earn as many as 5,000 bonus miles when you convert points from several hotel programs to Aeroplan. All the details are here. Purchases at Home Hardware earn double Aeroplan miles until September 10. And Air Canada will join the major U.S. carriers in charging $25 for the first checked bag, starting October 11.

The big news on the airline mile front is the annual "Grand Slam" promotion from U.S. Airways. Various activities earn hits. Hits earn Dividend Miles, as many as 110,000, if you earn the maximum 40 hits. Registration is open now. Play begins September 14 and continues until November 14. And until September 15, you can earn a 100% bonus on purchased or gifted Dividend Miles, up to 50,000 miles. This also counts as a "hit" if you do it on September 14 or 15.

Starwood Preferred Guest members can earn double the usual points (triple if the stay includes a Thursday or Sunday night) for stays through December 18 at Sheraton, Westin, and other hotels in the Starwood family. Registration is required via this link. And SPG members save 35% and get a free continental breakfast for city weekend getaways, until December 30.

Until November 3, register to get 4X ChoicePrivileges points for stays at Choice Hotels (Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, EconoLodge, etc.).

Here's a code for 15% off at budget chain Red Roof Inn, valid during September for those over 50.

It can sometimes make sense to purchase hotel points to redeem for a reward. For example, you may be only a few points shy of the number needed, or the room rate may be greater than the cost of the points. Until September 30, receive a 20% bonus when purchasing Hyatt Gold Passport points: 1,200 for US$24.

Points.com is not usually a good deal when swapping points among your programs, but until September 15, some swaps earn a 15% bonus, which softens the blow a little. Even with the poor exchange rates Points.com offers, there are times when it's worthwhile: you may have "orphan" points in a program that could provide some value somewhere else, or a swap into a program could count as activity to extend the life of your points in a program. And a swap into U.S. Airways counts as a "hit" for the Grand Slam promotion.

And finally, I don't think PETRO-POINTS have a lot of value (I buy gas at Esso to get Aeroplan miles), but until October 31, when you buy a coffee and swipe your PETRO-POINTS card, you could win free gas for a year.

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Points and Miles: Annual Update, Part 1

As promised, here is the first part of an update to last fall's series on collecting travel reward points and miles. I've highlighted changes and provided links to the original posts.

In Points 1: Canada's Favourite Points Programs, I said that, unlike many points experts who advise you to focus on one program, I take the opposite view. All points and miles have potential value, so I believe in signing up for almost any program, focusing on several, and taking a patient, long-term approach. If like me, you want to collect with the goal of travel, you have to be prepared to play the long game.

Start with a credit card, preferably no-fee or that waives the fee for the first year, that gives you a nice sign-up bonus and 1-2 points per dollar of spending. Add additional cards as better opportunities present themselves and cancel cards you no longer need. Keep several different cards, though: that gives you flexibility. Within a year or two, you'll have enough points for a holiday. Within five years, you can build a large enough portfolio of points and miles to pick and choose your vacation opportunities.

The advice I gave in Points 2, about how to earn Aeroplan miles with a no-fee credit card, no longer applies. Shortly afterwards, Bank of Montreal suddenly changed the terms of its Club Sobeys MasterCard, so that Club Sobeys points earned by spending on the card were no longer eligible for conversion to Aeroplan miles. I described the whole sorry fiasco in Points 8: BMO Club Sobeys MasterCard Snafu. There is one revision to that post: I was allowed to autoconvert the enrolment bonus points. But as I said, this is no way to build loyalty: I cancelled the card. Club Sobeys points earned by shopping at Sobeys can still be converted to Aeroplan miles.

There have been some changes to what I wrote in Points 3: Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Card. Sign-up bonuses have gotten bigger and smaller, and waiving of the annual fee for the first year has come and gone. All the other advantages of the Starwood program and the American Express card still pertain, but best check the details if you're thinking of applying.

I did cancel the SPG Amex after the first year, but did not go with the BMO Club Sobeys MasterCard as my main spending card (for the reason I described above). Instead, American Express offered me its new Gold Rewards card. This card has an annual fee of $150, waived for the first year. I received 15K Membership Reward points as an enrolment bonus and earn 2 points per dollar for spending on gas, groceries, drug store, and travel. All other purchases earn 1 point. This is a "hybrid" card: points can be used for travel booked through American Express; redeemed for merchandise; or converted to points with Air Canada, Delta, British Airways, Hilton Hotels, Starwood (Sheraton, Westin, etc.), Priority Club (Holiday Inn, etc.), and other travel partners, at various conversion rates. Since Aeroplan and British Airways have recently devalued their award charts, and Continental is leaving the program with its takeover by United Airlines, the value of Membership Rewards points is decreasing. Unless there are significant enhancements to the value of the card, I won't be paying $150 to renew it next year.

I'll conclude this update in Part 2, next Tuesday.

You can now follow me on Twitter: @AeneasLane

Happy New Year

The equinox may still be three weeks away, but the approaching Labour Day weekend marks the end of summer for most of us. For forty-six years, as student and teacher, the resumption of school was the annual milestone that marked the beginning of a "new year" for me. It's impossible to shake that feeling.

And so, I've decided to make some changes to the blog, minor ones, but I hope for the better.

It's now a year and a half old and has had more than 7,300 visits. Lately, the cocktail, and especially the travel and points, posts have proven very popular. So I've decided to continue with a "drinks" post, once a month, on the third Thursday. Look for posts on Dessert Cocktails, Boozy Coffees, and Winter Beers in the coming months.

Last September, after a dinner party conversation with friends about my travel points and miles obsession, I undertook to explain in a post the basics of collecting and redeeming loyalty rewards. That turned into a nine-part series (starting here). In the year since, I've posted what I thought were travel and points offers that might be of value to my readers. I began with a quarterly/seasonal summary, but soon found that there were so many offers out there that I was posting almost monthly. And so, I'm going to continue with a monthly roundup, the first Thursday. (This month's will be next Thursday)

Also, some things have changed since I wrote that series of posts from last fall. Some point-offering credit cards are gone; new ones have arrived. Some programs have changed, and I've revised my thinking on some things. Later this month, I'll revisit last year's posts and update you on the changes and what I've learned since then.

Of course I'll still blog about whatever's on my mind, whenever I feel the urge. That's why I started 500 Words in the first place. For those of you who indulge my headwashing with patience and good humour, my heartfelt thanks.

Enjoy the last of summer. All the summer cocktail recipes are accessible, right there on the left side under the months of June, July, and August. See you next week.

Blueberry Fizz

Summer's winding down and that means the blueberries are in the supermarket. The tiny fruit is a nutritional powerhouse, credited with possessing health benefits ranging from Alzheimer's and urinary tract infection prevention, to lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.

But if you're not getting enough blueberries from jams, muffins, and pies, Dr. 500 Words prescribes the following cocktail.

Muddle 12-15 blueberries in the bottom of a tall glass. Add 1½ oz. of gin and 4 or 5 ice cubes. Fill with 4 or 5 ounces of lemon-lime pop. Give everything a gentle stir and garnish with a few more blueberries.

About the pop: read the labels. Some have nearly twice the sugar and calories as others. You can also cut back on the calories by substituting a lemon- or lime-flavoured sparkling water for the pop.

That's our twelfth and final fruit-themed cocktail of Summer 2011. I hope you've enjoyed them. Next Thursday I'll look ahead to what's coming in cocktails and travel and points for fall.

Cheers!

Prickly Pear Margarita

The prickly pear cactus grows throughout the deserts of the southwest United States. Juice and syrup can be produced from its edible, fuchsia-coloured, pear-shaped fruit. And, or course, cocktails can be produced from the juice or syrup.

Recently, my sister-in-law celebrated a special birthday, and at my brother's request, I reproduced a cocktail she had enjoyed during a holiday in Arizona – the Prickly Pear Margarita.

The only hard part about making one is getting hold of prickly pear syrup, but an online search revealed many sources of supply. I placed an order and five days later I had my syrup and testing began.

Here's the recipe I came up with: to a cocktail shaker half full of ice, add 1½ oz. of tequila, ¾ oz. lime juice, ½ oz. triple sec, and ½ oz. prickly pear syrup. Shake sharply for 30 seconds and pour into a Margarita glass. Allow a few pieces of ice to slip into the glass in order to dilute the drink, as it's quite concentrated otherwise. Or you can blend the ingredients with ½ cup of crushed ice if you like frozen Margaritas.

If you don't happen to have any prickly pear syrup handy, you could experiment with other fruit syrups – blueberry, blackberry, or pomegranate, for example. Or try using a one-inch cube of peach sorbet instead to make a Peach Margarita.

The Prickly Pear Margarita is a good example of how switching up one ingredient in a familiar cocktail recipe can produce new and interesting results. Don't be afraid to experiment: you can always drink your mistakes.

The Bellini

I think peaches are the quintessential summer fruit, and last year, I told you how to turn our seasonal bounty into a cold, refreshing peach sorbet. You don't remember?

Well how about when I described how to turn peach sorbet into a Peach Daiquiri. I bet you remember now.

Well, it's even easier to turn peach sorbet into a Bellini, the classic sparkling wine cocktail that's popular in Italian restaurants.

You'll need to make a batch of peach sorbet first. Just click here for the recipe. Then place two one-inch cubes (about 2 oz.) of the sorbet in a champagne flute and let thaw until you can purée them with the back of a spoon. Top with 3 oz. of sparkling wine and give a gentle stir to combine. Italian prosecco is the traditional choice, but use whatever inexpensive, fruity sparkling wine you enjoy. Save your pricy French champagne for another occasion.

Cin cin!

Banana Daiquiri

The Banana Daiquiri is a classic, and along with the Strawberry Daiquiri, is probably more popular today than the original cocktail. If you like Piña Coladas, you'll probably enjoy a Banana Daiquiri.

It's pretty simple, really. Just add the following ingredients to your blender: 1½ oz. of white rum, ¾ oz. of triple sec, ¾ oz. of lime juice, 1 ripe banana, and 1 cup of crushed ice. Blend on low for a few seconds to combine everything, and then on high until smooth. Pour into a Hurricane or Margarita glass. Sip through a straw, if you wish to avoid a moustache.

Some tips:

• You could pre-chill your blender jar in the freezer. That will keep your Banana Daiquiri colder and make it thicker.
  
• The riper the banana, the sweeter it will be. If your daiquiri is too sweet, add a few drops more lime juice; if too tart add a little more triple sec, simple syrup, or sugar.
  

You can see all the rest of this summer's cocktail recipes by clicking on June and July, over on the left side of the blog.

Cheers.

A Week in Washington – Part 2

Our first day in Washington began with a trip into the city on the Metro and a visit to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum on the National Mall. "The Smithsonian" is actually a collection of nineteen galleries and museums and one zoological park. Admission is free. Not only are these first-class institutions a national treasure of the American people, they are a gift to the world.

Later that afternoon, we took a bus tour of the city and saw such national monuments as the Capitol (a truly impressive building), the White House, the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. At a brief stop at the Capitol, as we witnessed a demonstration by No Labels, we spoke with a Capitol police officer who assured us that an agreement would be reached at the eleventh hour on raising the debt ceiling. The news networks should hire this guy.

The following day we drove to Baltimore, where we walked around the revitalized Inner Harbor and took the water taxi to Fell's Point, an area of shops, restaurants, and bars. That evening, we watched the Orioles defeat the Boston Red Sox at Camden Yards. Opened in 1992, it is designed like the older ballparks of the early 20^th century, and is situated only two blocks from the birthplace of Babe Ruth. There's a museum you can tour, and also nearby, the Maryland Sports Legends Museum. One ticket gets you into both.

The third day, we went to the National Air and Space Museum's Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center on the Virginia side of D.C., near Dulles airport. This is a bigger facility than the museum on the Mall and houses such larger items as the space shuttle Enterprise, an Air France Concorde, a Boeing 707, and dozens of other air- and spacecraft.

The next day saw us back in Washington for what was the highlight of our trip. One of the couples in our traveling group has a family connection to a member of the management team at the Park Hyatt Washington, home of the famed Blue Duck Tavern. When we arrived for lunch, we were welcomed with champagne, just like VIP's (if you knew us, you'd find the incongruity hilarious), and treated throughout our luncheon with the utmost courtesy, consideration, and kindness. The food's not bad, either. I can personally attest to the Braised Beef Rib (melt in your mouth), and the Hand Cut BDT Triple Fries (the third frying is in duck fat – yum). The Cabernet Sauvignon by Catena from Mendoza, Argentina goes very well with both.

The pastry chef, Peter Brett, insisted we try all his desserts and all were excellent. The Blue Duck is famous for its apple pie, but the Nectarine, Blackberry, and Almond Crumble with Crème Fraîche stands out in my memory.

The food and the service certainly made our meal memorable, but we also got a story. We were told that the back-corner table we were seated at was the one where President Obama and the First Lady celebrated her birthday. The story must have gotten a little jumbled, because reports I've found, say it was their seventeenth anniversary. Whatever. My tush may have touched the chair that held the tush of greatness.

The group split up for the rest of the afternoon for visits to the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, and the Hard Rock Café.

Our final destination on this trip was the Maryland state capital, Annapolis. Built largely of red brick in the 18^th century, Annapolis escaped major fires, and so boasts hundreds of well-preserved colonial-era buildings. We took a short bus tour, had lunch by the harbour, and toured the United States Naval Academy. Here, some 4,500 young men and women undergo a rigorous four-year program in maths and sciences to prepare for careers as officers in the Navy and Marine Corps.

After a day of outlet shopping in Hagerstown, MD, we headed for home.

All that week, I was reminded that we were not just surrounded by monuments to the past, but that we were in the midst of history unfolding. The negotiations then underway in the Capitol will shape the economic future of not only the United States, but to a great extent, the world, for decades to come. And we were at the Air and Space facilities on the days that marked both the forty-second anniversary of humans' first steps on the moon and the end of the space shuttle program. It was hard not see an omen in that.

Late Summer 2011 Travel and Points Offers

Now that August is here it's time to take a look at the travel and points offers available for late summer getaways. Summer being peak travel season, there aren't a lot of great offers out there right now: better offers will come along in the fall. But here are the best of what's available.

Instead of points, Hyatt Gold Passport members can register to receive 2,500 Aeroplan miles per stay. The offer is good until September 30.

Until September 30, earn double points or double miles for stays at Hilton hotels (including Hampton, Doubletree, and Embassy Suites). You must register here. If you're a Delta SkyMiles collector, you can earn triple miles with this link.

And you just might find a good deal, because participating Hilton properties are offering up to 40% discounts if you book by August 22 and stay by September 5. Here's the offer page.

Capital One is now offering a Delta SkyMiles World MasterCard to Canadians. There is a 25K miles first purchase bonus, and each dollar spent earns one SkyMile. The card has a $120 annual fee. There is also a no-fee Gold MasterCard which earns one SkyMile for every $2 in purchases. All the details on both cards can be found here.

Until the end of the year, Starwood (Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridien, Four Points, Aloft, W) hotels across Canada are offering the third night free when you pay for two nights during holiday long weekends. This link has the promo code you need when booking.

You'll receive 500 Continental OnePass miles for every $100 Best Western travel card purchased by August 31. All the details are here. And you have until September 30 to transfer American Express Membership Reward points to Continental OnePass. After that date, OnePass is ending its association with American Express as part of its merger into United's MileagePlus program.

Club Carlson (Radisson, Country Inn & Suites) lets you earn double points (40 points per $1 spent, including food and beverages) for stays up to September 15. Free nights begin at only 9K points, so a two-night stay could earn a free night. Registration is required.

Check back for the second part of A Week in Washington coming up in a few days and the regular summer cocktail recipe on Thursday.

A Week in Washington – Part 1

For several years now, we've travelled with a group of friends to various locales in the Northeast – Montreal, New York City, Chicago, Québec City, Boston – sampling the food and drink, taking in a ball game, and touring cultural and historic attractions. This year it was the turn of the Washington, D.C. area.

We have stayed in downtown hotels, but that tends to be expensive in the major cities in the summertime. So, we're always on the lookout for a property that that can accommodate eight people. Vacation rental sites like VRBO.com have sometimes come through for us, but there is another alternative: the suburban "suites" hotel.

We chose the Homewood Suites by Hilton in Columbia, MD. Like the Summerfield Suites (a Hyatt chain) we stayed at in Waltham, MA last summer, this property is located in a suburban setting close to major highway access, business parks, and big box retail. It caters to long-stay business travellers and families looking for more space. Our suites each had two bedrooms with their own baths and shared a common kitchen and sitting area. Not only did we have a place to socialize, but splitting the cost of the suites saved us some money. Wireless internet, buffet breakfast, and parking were all included; there's even a complimentary buffet in the evening (Mon. – Thurs.) which is substantial enough to qualify as dinner. There was a pool and spa, and though the furnishings in our suite were dated (the hotel was undergoing renovations while we were there), everything was clean and in good working order.

Most "suites" hotels do not have two-bedroom units (there were only two on the Maryland side of D.C. that I could find, the other being a Summerfield Suites in Gaithersburg), and those that do, don't have many, so you might have to do some hunting and book early.

We stayed in Columbia because it was located roughly equidistant from Washington, Baltimore, and Annapolis. A few minutes' drive got us to the interstate, and in twenty minutes we were at the Greenbelt Metro (subway) station. From there, it took about twenty-five minutes to reach destinations in downtown Washington. The Metro is clean, safe, and reliable, and is comprised of 86 stations and over 170 km. of track in a hub and spoke pattern centred on downtown, radiating outward toward the suburbs beyond the Beltway. Expansion is underway which will take it to Dulles airport in the next few years.

Baltimore was even closer, with the trip to Camden Yards (home of the Orioles) and the nearby Baltimore Harbour taking about twenty minutes by car. The Maryland state capital, Annapolis, a small, well-preserved eighteenth century seaport and home to the United States Naval Academy, took about thirty-five minutes.

All in all, we found the Homewood Suites in Columbia a good fit for our needs. In Part 2, I'll describe some of the highlights of our visits to Washington, Baltimore, and Annapolis.

Pineapple Cocktails

We continue our fruit-themed series of summer cocktails with pineapple drinks. Pineapple's sweet-tart flavour pairs beautifully with rum. Close your eyes, and you'll think you're on a tropical vacation.

Another thing I really like about using pineapple juice, is that, when used in a shaken cocktail, it creates a layer of foam that settles on the top of the drink, an especially lovely effect if you've coloured the drink with a liqueur like blue Curaçao. I named one of last summer's cocktails, the Aphrodite, after the Greek goddess of love, who was born of the sea foam, because of this effect. Try one, and you'll see what I mean.

Unless you have a juicer that can handle fresh pineapples, I recommend using PC 100% Pure Pressed Pineapple Juice, available in the refrigerated juice aisle wherever President's Choice products are sold.

I'm going to give you three recipes – one that's very basic, and two that require a few more ingredients.

Hawaiian Margarita

You'll need 1½ oz. tequila (preferably gold), 1 oz. orange juice, and 2 oz. pineapple juice. Combine over ice in a Margarita glass, or blend with ½ cup of crushed ice for a frozen Margarita.

Green Goddess

If you have some green melon liqueur lurking in the back of your liquor cabinet, here's the perfect way to use it. To a cocktail shaker half full of ice, add 1½ oz. of white rum, ½ oz. of green melon liqueur, 1 tsp. of lemon juice, and 3 oz. of pineapple juice. Shake sharply for 30 seconds and strain into a cocktail glass. If you really want to impress, garnish with cubes of honeydew melon and pineapple on a small skewer.

Hurricane

Similar to the Bahama Mama, which I featured a few weeks ago, the Hurricane was the signature drink of New Orleans even before Katrina, and there are many versions out there. It's usually served in a tall, curvy glass that resembles the globe of a hurricane lantern. If you don't have any Hurricane glasses, any tall glass will do. Combine 1 oz. of white rum, 1 oz. of dark rum, 2 oz. of orange juice, 2 oz. of pineapple juice, and ½ oz. of Grenadine in a mixing glass. Pour over crushed ice in a Hurricane glass. Best enjoyed sipped through a straw.

As we head into August, there's still plenty of summer left and still lots of fruit we haven't turned into cocktails. Stay tuned.

Watermelon Daiquiri – Natural Viagra?

Well, as last week's post demonstrated, sex sells: the number of visits to the blog was among the highest ever. So at the risk of being labelled the Rupert Murdoch of cocktail blogging, I'll continue the theme for one more week. But while this week's fruity elixir lacks a suggestive name, it may actually deliver the goods.

It seems scientists have discovered that watermelon contains high levels of citruline, an amino acid which the body converts into arginine, a precursor for nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same way the little blue pill works its magic.

Start by cutting up a few cups of watermelon (remove any seeds) into cubes and puréeing them in your blender. Then half-fill your cocktail shaker with ice and add 2 oz. of white rum, 1 oz. of triple sec, ½ oz. of lime juice, and 4 oz. of the watermelon purée. Shake sharply for 30 seconds and strain into a Margarita-style glass (that's a stemmed glass with a coupe-shaped bowl). This makes a serving that's large enough for sharing, and that's kinda the point.

While scientists don't know how much watermelon you'd have to ingest to achieve the desired effect, Dr. 500 Words suggests you sip one or two Watermelon Daiquiris a half hour before bedtime. And leave a comment on his blog in the morning.

Sexy Cocktails

Summer is heating up and so is the blog. This week's featured fruit is the orange, but we're bending the rules a little here, because we're using some more unusual, but still readily available liquors. To compensate, I'm giving you three hot, hot, hot cocktails to choose from. So, shoo the kiddies away from the computer and get ready for some adult fun.

Bahama Mama

You'll need 1 oz. of white or amber rum, 1 oz. of coconut rum (such as Malibu), ½ oz. of Grenadine, 2 oz. of orange juice, and 2 oz. of pineapple juice (President's Choice has an excellent fresh, not from concentrate, example in the refrigerated juice section). Stir together in a hurricane glass half filled with ice and sip through a straw. Or, alternatively, blend with a cup of crushed ice and serve in a large wine glass.

Sex on the Beach

To a tall glass half full of ice, add 1½ oz. vodka, 1 oz. peach schnapps, 2 oz. orange juice, and 2 oz. cranberry juice. Stir with a straw and sip lazily as you sigh with satisfaction.

Sloe Comfortable Screw

You're probably familiar with the Screwdriver, that classic mixture of vodka and orange juice, but did you know you can make a Virgin Screwdriver by leaving out the vodka? If you'd prefer a Sloe Screw, fill a tall glass half full of ice, add 1½ oz. of sloe gin (not really a gin), and top up with 3 or 4 oz. of orange juice. For a Sloe Comfortable Screw, reduce the sloe gin to ½ oz. and add ½ oz. of Southern Comfort and 1 oz. of vodka. Top off with orange juice and give everything a stir.

That's our first six weeks of summer cocktails and so far we've featured strawberries and lemons, raspberries and limes, mangoes, cranberries, and oranges. Just look on the left side of the blog and click on "June" to see the recipes and to find links to last summer's drinks.

There are still six more weeks of summer and lots more fruit we can drink. Stay tuned.